Bail anchor



Oct. 6,1925- 1556952 m w. WARR RAIL ANCHOR I Filed m. 1, 1.924

Patented (let. 6,

ti hi I IFJZINOIS,.F1SSIGNOR TO TIE-IE P & l tt COIvIPANY, OF

A C'QBPURATION OF ILLINDIS.

RAIL ANCHOR.

Application filed December To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, iii/morn ti. l/Vann, a citizen of the United States, residing at Park Ridge, in the county of Cool; and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Bail Anchors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to rail anchoring devices of the general type adapted to grip the base portion of a railroad rail and has for its principal object the provision of a new and improved device of the above character which will be easy of application, reliable in its operation, and which will be inexpensive to manufacture.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide an improved anchor device comprising a rail gripping member and a separately formed member for retaining the rail gripping member in its operative position on a rail, which members are preferably so constructed that they may be permanent- 1y assembled at the factory before shipment and be applied to a rail while they are in their normal assembled condition.

Another object oil the invention is to provide an improved anchor device comprising a rail gripping member and a separately formed member for retaining the rail gripping member in its operative position on a rail, which members are so formed that the rail gripping member may be made of a uni form size to fit rails having base flanges of dilierent thickness and so that the variations in the dimensions of the anchor necessary to accommodate rails having base flanges of different widths may be accomplished by varying the length of the retaining member, or by varying its assembled position with relation to the other member.

The invention has for further objects the novel arrangements, constructions and combinations out parts hereinafter described and claimed for carrying out the above stated objects and such other incidental objects as will appear from the following description of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in certain preferred embodiments in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a rail anchor constructed in accordance with my invention applied to the base portion of a railroad rail.

Fig. 2 is a face view of the anchor con- 1, 1924. Serial No. 753,25"?.

struction shown in Fig. 1, the base portion of the rail being shown in section and the normal position of the jaw member when the anchor is free of the rail being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of the rail gripping member of the anchor construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary face view of a modified construction, and

Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of the rail anchor shown in Fig. 4.

The invention is illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing as consisting of a rail gripping member 10 adapted to fit over one edge of the base portion of a railroad rail 11, and a retaining member 12 engaged with the rail gripping member and adapted to snap over the opposite edge of the rail base to hold the gripping member 10 in its operative position.

The gripping member 10 is preferably formed from a sheet steel blank, the body portion 13 of which is bent along the horizontal line to provide a jaw 14: for engaging the upper inclined surface of the rail base. The end portions 15, 15 of the blank are bent at right angles to the body so as to provide vertically disposed flanges tor engaging the bottom surface of the rail base. The extremity 16 of the flange 15 is preferably bent to a position parallel to the body 13 and is pierced preferably with a square opening 17 which aligns with a similar opening 18 in the body portion 13. The jaw portion 141 is bent to such position that the distance between the lower surface of the jaw and the upper edges of the flanges l5 and 15' will normally be less than the thickness of the rail base when the device is free of the rail so that it will be necessary, when driving the member 10 to its rail gripping position, to distort the jaw 1 1- trom the dotted line position to the full line position shown in Fig. 2, thereby insuring a firm grip of the anchor on the rail and also making it practicable to apply the member 10 to rail bases of different thickness.

The retaining member 12 consists oi a metal bar, preferably square in cross section and made of spring metal, one end of which extends through the openings 17 and 18 of the member 10 and is provided with a downturned portion 19 adapted to bear against the outer face of the member 10. The other end of the retaining member is bent upwardly at to provide a portion 21 for bearing against the bottom surface of the rail base and is formed with an upturned portion22 adapted to engage with the vertical surface of the rail base at a point opposite to the rail gripping member.

It will be seen that the members 10 and 12, being formed separately, may be made of metals of different quality and in other respects contain the various manufacturing advantages present in a two-piece anchor. The separately formed members, however, are preferably per ianently connected at the factory so that the anchor may be shipped and applied to a rail as a one piece anchor.

In applying the anchor to a rail, the jaw 14 is hooked over one edge of the rail base with one of the verti-al flanges 15 or 15 in a position to bear against a cross tie The member 10 is then driven into tight gripping engagement with the rail base. If desired, the member 10 and the retaining member 12 may be driven simultaneously to their operative positions by striking the end 19 of the retaining member. lVhen the members 10 and 12 are driven to their applied position in the above manner, the end 22 of the member 12 will snap into engagement with the opposite edge of the rail base when the member 10 reaches its fully applied position and thereby hold the gripping member from backing off the rail. The members 10 and 12 may also be applied by first driving the member 10 to its applied position and then driving the member 12 transversely of the rail until the end 22 of said member snaps over the opposite edge of the rail base. The mtaining member is not ordinarily subjected to any appreciable stress resulting from the creeping of the rail and therefore may be made relatively light in weight. The anchor may be made for rails having base flanges of different widths by simply varying the length of the retaining member. It will also be seen tha the retaining member being relatively light may be easily flexed to permit the removal and the reapplication of the anchor when occasion requires without danger of subjecting the anchor to excessive distortion.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I have illustrated a modi fied. construction in which the rail gripping member 10 is made of cast metal instead of sheet steel, as described in comicctirm with the preceding figures. The member 10 is preferably provided with relatively heavy upper and lower jaws 2i and 2:3. the inner surfaces of which define a recess 28 for receiving one edge of the rail base.

This recess is normally smaller than the thickness of the rail base so that the j aw 24; will be slightly distorted, substantially as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4:, when the member is driven to its applied position.

27 designates a tie abutting foot and 28-28 reinforcing webs. The retaining member 12 may be the same in construction as the member 12 described in connection with Figs. 1 and 2 with the exception that the member 1'2 may be made shorter than the member 12 and the portion 19 is relatively short and preferably formed by an upsetting operation instead of bending the bar as shown in Fig. It will be obvious. however, that the downwardly projecting por tion 19 of Fig. may likewise be formed by upsetting the end of the bar.

The member 12 is secured rigidly to the rail gripping member by casting the member 10" around the upset end 19 of the retaining member so as to imbed the end 19" in the metal of the member 10". This result may be accomplished by so positioning the end of member 12 in the mold in which the casting is formed, that the molten metal, when poured into the mold. will flow around the end of the member 12". \Vith the cast metal construction as above described, anchors may be formed to lit rail bases of dilferent widths by simply shifting the position of the member 12 in the mold. in which the casting 10" is formed, so as to provide the desired distance between the shoulder 22 of member 12 and end wall 30: of the recess 26 of the cast member 10.

lVhile I have described my invention in two specific embodiments, it will be obvious that other modifications in structure might be made without depart ore from the spirit of my invention. 1 therefore wish it under stood that l contemplate all such changes in structure as come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A rail anchor comprising a rail base engagin member adapted to be driven into engagement with one flange of the rail base and means for retaining said base engaging member in its operative position comprising a spring member adapted to snap over the opposite edge of the rail base.

A rail anchor comprising a rail base en gaging member adapted to be driven into engagement with one flange of the rail base and means for retaining said rail base cugaging member in its operative position comprising a separately formed spring member attached to said rail engaging memher and adapted to snap over the opposite edge of the rail base.

3. A rail anchor comprising a rail base engine] member adapted to be driven into engagement with one tlan 'e of the rail base. ant means for retaining said rail base ongaging member in its operative position comprising a separately formed spring member normally permanently attached to said rail engaging men'iber and adapted to snap over the opposite edge of the rail base.

it. A rail anchor comprising a rail base engaging member adapted tobe driven into engagement with one flange oi' the rail base and means for retaining said. rail base engaging member in its operative position comprising a separately formed member normally attached permanently to said rail engaging member and adapted to bear against the opposite edge of the rail base.

5. A rail anchor comprising a rail base engaging member adapted to be driven into engagement with one flange of the rail base and means for retaining said rail base engaging member in its operative position comprising a bar normally attached perl'nanently to said rail engaging member and adapted to engage the opposite edge of the rail bas when said first named member is in its operative position.

6. A rail anchor comprising a rail base engaging member adapted to be driven into engagement with one flange or the rail base and means for retaining said rail base engaging member in. its operative position comprising a separately lormed member normally attached permanently to said rail engaging member and adapted to bear against the opposite edge of the rail base; said rail engaging member being provided with jaw portions so disposed with relation to each other as'to be spread apart during the ap plication of said member to its operative position.

7. A rail anchor comprising a member adapted to be applied to one flange of a rail base and to be distorted. during its application to a rail, and a separately formed member having a snap engagement with the opposite edge of the rail base for retaining said jaw n'iember on the rail.

8. A rail anchor comprising a jaw member adapted to be applied to one flange of a rail base and to be distorted during its application to a rail, and a separately formed spring bar secured to the jaw member and having a snap engagement with the opposite edge of the rail base for retaining said aw member on the rail.

9. A rail anchor comprising a rail gripping member adapted to be applied to one edge or a rail base, and a separately formed retaining member for holding the gripping member in its applied position; said retaining a .mber comprising a bar formed at one end with an angularly disposed portion for engaging the edge of the rail base and provided at the other end with a portion bent over a part of said gripping member to attar-h said members together.

H). .i rail anchor comprising a rail gripping member and a retaining member for holding the gripping member in its applied position; said gripping member being pro vided with upper and lower jaws for engag ing the upper and lower surfaces of a rail base at one side of the rail and pr vided with an opening below the rail base to receive said retaining n'icmber, and said rctaining member being adapted to be driven tached to the gripping member and adapted to hold it in its applied position; said grip-- ping member being provided with a jaw for bearing against the upper surface of the rail base and with a vertically disposed flange providing a jaw for engaging the bottom surface of the rail base, and said retaining member being adapted to be driven from the side of the rail engaged by said gripping member into engagement with the opposite edge of the rail base.

12. A rail anchor; comprising a rail grippin member and a retaining member for holding the gripping member in its applied position; said gripping member being provided. with a jaw for bearing against the upper surface of the rail base and with spaced vertically disposed flanges for engaging the bottom surface of the rail and said retaining member comprising a spring bar attached to said gripping member and having a snap engagement with the opposite edge of the rail base.

18. A rail anchor comprising a rail gripping member formed with a jaw :tor engaging the upper surface of a rail base at one side of a rail and with vertically disposed flanges extending transversely of the rail and adapted to bear against the bottom surface thereof, and means for retaining said gripping member in operative position comprising a spring bar attached to the gripping member and adapted to be driven from the side of the rail engaged by said gripping member into engagement with the opposite edge 01" the rail base.

14. A rail anchor comprising a rail gripping member formed with a jaw for engaging the upper surface of a rail base at one side of a rail and with vertically disposed flanges extending transversely of the rail and adapted to bear against the bottom surface thereof, and means for retaining said gripping member in. operative position comprising a spring bar attached to the gripping member and engaging the oppositeedge of the rail base; the body portion of said gripping member being formed with an opening to receive one end of said retaining member and one of said flanges being formed to provide a support for said retaining member.

15. A rail anchor comprising a rail gripping member formed with a jaw for engaging the upper surface of a rail base at one side of a rail and with vertically disposed ange xten in U W Q Y f th rai d dap d; to bee aga -l stv he, be -mm sum-- face thereof, and means forv retaining sgid grigping member in operative position comprising a spying bar attached to the grip p ng m ew lfing. th ap te ed e of the rail base; the body portion of sa d gripping member being proyided with an opening to receive one end of said retaining receive. ne end of said retaining member.

161 A mail anchor eomprising a rail gripping, member formed from 9. sheet metal blank bent to provide jaws for en aging the upper and lower s urfnces of a rai base, and a reteini member comprising a bar atteehed to iiie said, gripping member and pr0 xiicled at one end wlth an upstanding ortion adapted f0 snap over one, edge off he rail member and; the extxeinity. of one of said base flan es being bent 119- a pesihion parallel to h y nd Pr de with an openingto HAROLD G. WARR. 

